Showing posts with label traditional toys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label traditional toys. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Traditional Toys Are Still Essential in a World of Electronic Devices and Apps
Technology is more advanced than ever, and children are often drawn toward the flashing lights, fun music and characters on a mobile device more than they are to traditional toys. Does that mean electronic devices and apps trump creative play and imagination? Maybe in some homes, but they shouldn’t in yours, and here’s why.
Social Skills
An ongoing concern for the upcoming generation is that many kids lack important social skills. Playing with traditional toys gives children the chance to learn communication, sharing and problem solving skills. These important social abilities get skimmed over when kids play on an iPad all day.Language and Speech Skills
Most children develop these skills around ages two and three. Traditional toys beat electronic devices again because, while apps may teach "speech," they don’t teach "language." Interacting with an image on a screen doesn’t allow the same feedback as interacting with another child.Motor Skills and Eye-Hand Coordination
With an app, the most involvement you get is a hand swipe or a tap of the finger. Compare that to building towers, playing catch or drawing a picture and it’s clear that traditional toys are superior for developing eye-hand coordination, not to mention providing the physical activity needed to develop motor skills and keep kids healthy.Imagination
Open-ended toys encourage creative play. A stack of blocks can become a house for a teddy bear; a few dolls can go on an adventure together; and a cardboard box can become a spaceship. Apps don’t allow the same type of creativity or imagination. For many, what you see is what you get.With this is in mind, it’s important not to completely ignore technology. Today’s electronics trump the button-mashing video games and one-button preschool toys of yesteryear. Some online computer games are quite thought-provoking and challenging, and apps are great for entertaining your child in the doctor’s office waiting room. Ultimately, it’s about striking a healthy balance between technology and traditional toys.
Browse through the extensive collection of age-appropriate toys available from ListenLoveLearn Toys. Then find out more about the importance of traditional play by contacting ListenLoveLearn.
Image via Shutterstock.com
Monday, October 6, 2014
Speech Delayed Children and Toy Selection -- Keep It Simple
If you have speech delayed children, the right toys can help get them back on track. Use these tips to keep the toy selection process simple.
Skip Battery-Operated
Toys
The batteries allow toys to
make noise. However, in speech delayed children, it’s not the toy you want to
be making noise. Select toys that are either designed for battery-free play or
remove the batteries from the toys you already have.Of course, there are exceptions. A voice recorder or karaoke machine needs batteries, and these certainly encourage speech delayed children to talk.
Opt for Traditional
Toys
Many traditional toys have transcended generations, making their
popularity clear. They encourage creativity and imagination because a child can
play with them in a variety of ways. Some examples include:- Wooden blocks
- Cars,
trucks and trains
- Play
kitchen and cash register
- Farm set
and doll house
- Dress up
clothes and tea set
- Tool bench
and pretend tools
Forget Gender
Constraints
Put your preconceived notions
aside and give both genders the chance to play with trains and cars or with
pretend kitchens and baby dolls. Both boys and girls deserve to get equal
benefits from play materials, so don’t restrict them.
Encourage Physical
Activity
It’s important for children,
whether speech delayed or not, to get up and moving! Whether indoors or
outside, pick from some of the following toys to encourage physical activity:- Crawl-through
tunnels
- Ride-on
toys
- Water table
- Small
shovels for digging
- Large
playhouses
Remember That Less Is
More
With all these ideas in mind,
you may be tempted to get them all. However, too many toys can be a negative
thing. To prevent boredom and feelings that you need to buy more, start a toy
rotation. Don’t forget, some of the best toys aren’t toys at all. Homemade
forts, pots and pans, and cardboard boxes are sometimes the best playthings for
speech delayed children.Browse through the extensive collection of age-appropriate toys available from ListenLoveLearn Toys to help you with your toy selection dilemma. Then, find out more about the importance of traditional toys for speech delayed children by contacting ListenLoveLearn.
Image via Shutterstock.com
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Even in a Digital Age, Traditional Toys Play a Key Role in Nurturing Childhood Creativity
While Smartphones and tablets are useful tools for entertaining children in certain settings, traditional toys play a key role in nurturing childhood creativity. Mattel, the largest toymaker in the world, wanted to know moms’ opinions about toys, so the company reached out and asked: “Do you still place great value on traditional toys?” Despite this digital age in which we live, moms responded with a resounding “Yes!”
Very little about the way children play has changed over the years. Experts and the media debate whether screens will one day replace dolls, cars and action figures, but most moms don’t think so.
Digital devices and traditional toys don’t compete directly in most homes. Each category of entertainment is distinct from the other. For instance, time spent on a Smartphone or tablet doesn’t compete with time spent playing house; it competes with time spent in front of other screens, such as the TV or computer. That’s why 59 percent of moms told Mattel they think portable screens will one day replace other electronics, not traditional toys.
Dr. Michael Shore, vice president of Global Consumer Insights for Mattel, has some interesting points: “When you walk into a child’s room…you won’t see an app on the wall as an expression of who the child is or what he or she loves…For that, toys will continue to endure as ideal gifts for children. After all, you can’t wrap an app.”
Another difference moms see is in the style of play. Traditional toys are often involved during active playtime when children interact together while a tablet is used for quiet solo play, such as while sitting in a waiting room.
Finally and perhaps most importantly, moms see traditional toys as a catalyst for creativity. Stories laid out on a screen don’t encourage creativity while action figures and toy cars certainly do.
To encourage creativity at home:
- Make sure your child has time to play.
- Provide a safe place to play.
- Encourage kids to use their imaginations.
- Get involved and play with your kids.
Contact ListenLoveLearn for more on the link between traditional toys and creativity.
Image via Shutterstock.com
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